Old Scars and New Adventures
by marcitheturtle
Summary: May Maple has just moved to the Hoenn Region with her family! She has dreams of going on her own Pokemon adventure. May meets new friends, including Brendan, a boy who has lost faith and explores Hoenn with her new Pokemon. Game novelization of ORAS.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Pokemon.

Hello! So this is my first story here on fanfiction and I'm proud of this first chapter so I really hope you guys like it too! Thanks for clicking!

* * *

May was not happy with her current situation. She was stuck in the back of a moving truck with all of her family's belongings because of a slight miscommunication on how many would be riding. The truck was being illuminated by a single light from her now useless Pokegear. Once she had entered Hoenn, all signals had been lost from her device, leaving her with no form of communication. She had managed to find a spot on the boxes safe enough to sit on without falling from the truck's movement.

"This is totally not fair," she mumbled irritably to herself. "First, I'm forced to leave Johto and all of my friends behind and now I'm riding back here all alone while being tossed around like a rag doll."

Just then, the truck hit a speed bump rather forcefully, lifting May off her seat and dropping her back down to the box with a loud thud. She groaned loudly, hoping her mother would somehow hear from the passenger seat of the truck.

It had already been an hour of driving. The young brunette was running out of things to combat her boredom. For the first twenty minutes, she tried thinking of the upsides of living In Hoenn, like her mother had suggested before they left. The only things she could think of was the beautiful sunny weather and all the new Pokémon there were to discover. After these, her mind could only wander to what she was going to miss about Johto, only worsening her already terrible mood. She had been going to start her own Pokémon adventure three months from now in Johto. At least, that was the case until her father was given a job offer to be the new Petalburg Gym Leader.

"He just had to accept this stupid job. Without even asking for my opinion either," she complained, not caring that there was no one to hear her.

The next 20 minutes of the trip consisted of May attempting to sleep. She managed a five-minute nap before she fell off the make-shift seat. Needless to say, May hadn't attempted another nap after her fall. The last 20 minutes had so far consisted of her sorting through the boxes. Inside were old notebooks and posters from her old room. There were also small Pokémon plush dolls that May had owned since she was a kid. A certain doll had caught her eye. It was an old Azurill doll. She'd been given this doll by her dad when she turned five. It had been placed on the top shelf of her bookshelf for the past couple years, forgotten about by May.

"I'd forgotten I had this old thing," she breathed out, examining every detail of the doll. It was small enough for her to hold it in one hand. Suddenly, the truck came to an abrupt stop, sending both May and the doll to the floor. She groaned and tried grabbing for the doll. Just as she was beginning to stand up, the double doors swung open, letting the afternoon sunlight in, causing May to squint after being in the dark for so long. Her mother came around the corner and saw May lying on the floor.

"May! What are you doing on the floor? That's unsafe. Boxes could have fallen on you!" she screeched, earning an eye roll from her daughter.

"Not anymore unsafe than leaving your sixteen-year-old daughter alone in the back of a moving truck," she muttered quietly as she stood up, hoping her mother wouldn't hear her snide comment.

"What was that?" her mother asked, raising an eyebrow at May.

"Nothing!" May squeaked out quickly and hopped out of the truck, taking in her surroundings. It was a small town, covered in beautiful greenery. There were about 15 houses in total, each with similar designs. Young children could be heard playing and pretending to be in a Pokémon battle.

Littleroot Town was much smaller than her hometown in Johto, but somehow, it felt more inviting than Azalea Town ever did. All of the houses had beautiful flower beds and large, vibrant trees. The tranquility of the town caused even May to forget about her bad mood.

"Isn't it lovely May? There are trees everywhere we look. I really think you're going to like it here in Hoenn. What do you think?" Her mother said, hoping for a cheerful response from May.

She looked around and took a deep breath.

"I guess it's not as bad as I was expecting it to be," May started, not wanting to admit that she had fallen in love with Littleroot in the short time she'd been here.

"Perfect! I just knew you would!" Caroline said happily

May had more pressing matters at hand, like the availability of Pokémon.

"Are there any Pokémon in the area?" she asked, still wanting to go on a journey, despite being in a new region.

Her mother bit her lip as if she were hiding something and finally said

"We can worry about that later. First, I think we should go see our new house. I can't wait for you to see your room! I picked out all the furniture myself," she looked rather proud of this and started for the house. May followed, slightly irritated over the avoidance of her Pokémon question. She brushed it off because of how happy her mother looked. May hadn't seen Caroline look so happy in weeks.

" _Maybe this move won't be so bad after all,_ " May thought, looking at her surrounding more carefully.

Machoke were shuffling in and out of the house, carrying the boxes from the moving truck. May had never been so close to a Machoke before. She couldn't help but feel a little intimidated, even if she was fully aware of how well-trained these fighting types were. Trying to distract herself from the large Pokémon, she looked around. Each house had a sign in front with the family name. One name caught her attention.

" _Birch?_ " she thought " _that sounds familiar. Maybe Dad knows them._ "

Caroline noticed May looking in the directions of the Birch home.

"Those are our neighbors, the Birch's. You've never met them, but your father and I have known them for years. Professor Birch, his wife, and son live there. The professor is one of the top researchers in Hoenn, "she explained, piquing May' interest.

"Did you say professor? Don't professors have Pokémon for beginning travelers?" May asked excitedly.

"Maybe," Caroline answered back, smiling at May.

May squealed with pure delight and clenched the Azurill doll she was still holding. She might be getting her very own Pokémon! Maybe Hoenn wasn't going to be so bad after all.

The interior of the new home had standard high-end furniture.

" _Looks nicer than what we used to have. Guess Dad's new job must pay better,_ " May thought, admiring the arranged furniture throughout. Caroline began heading up the stairs and called for May to follow. They climbed to the second floor together and stopped at the first door in the hallway. "May" was written on the door with large purple wooden letters.

"Well, this is your new room. I spent a lot of time choosing your furniture, so I really hope I captured your taste just right," Caroline said as she opened the door.

"Wow," May breathed out, admiring her room. It looked like her old room, but better. She even had her own television!

"What do you think?" Caroline asked, anxious for an answer.

"I love it! It's so cute and it looks like my old room!" the teenager chirped, smiling ear-to-ear.

Caroline looked immensely pleased with herself and walked towards the door to leave May alone. She paused just as she was back in the hallway and turned back around.

"Oh, May. I forgot to mention this but we're going to the Birch's home for dinner tonight. Lisa invited us over. I'm afraid it's only going to be her and their son. The professor has some business to attend to so he won't be able to join us," she said, already expecting a less-than-enthusiastic look from May, which is what she got. May had her heart set on meeting Professor Birch the second her mother mentioned her.

"Don't look so disappointed May. We're going to have a great time. Lisa is very nice. And I believe their son is around your age. His name is Brendan," Caroline was hoping the mention of a potential new friend would raise her spirits, but that was not the case. If anything, May looked even less enthusiastic about going.

"Fine. I guess I don't really have a choice in the matter," May groaned, earning a frown from her mother.

"I'll be nice, don't worry," she added trying to make Caroline feel better.

"Alright. Be ready by 7. You have an hour to get ready." Caroline called out as she closed the door.

May groaned again and landed face-first on her bed. She was not in the mood to go make friends. Not after that grueling truck ride. The only human interaction she would have been potentially looking forward to was meeting the professor. If she could get her own Pokemon, she could go on her journey.

"Whatever. I guess I would have had to meet them eventually," May thought, trying to raise her own spirits.

She stood from her bed and walked over to her full-size mirror. May looked terrible. She was wearing an oversized Eevee t-shirt and basketball shorts. It seemed like a great option in the morning, comfort-wise, but now she couldn't help but cringe at her own messy outfit. Her hair wasn't any better. It looked like a knotted birds nest. May walked over to her closet, praying her clothes were already in there. Thankfully, the closet was full. She sorted through the hangers and settled for her regular outfit. It was a red tank top with a black rounded collar, white shorts with black spandex under. The next issue to deal with was her hair. May combed harshly through her hair, trying to remove all the knots. This took her about five minutes until she gave up and settled for a ponytail with her bangs framing her face.

"Somethings missing," she thought as she scanned the room. In an unpacked box across the room, she could see the outline of something red. She pulled it out to reveal her white and red bandana. She played around with how to wear it and settled for tying it into a large bow at the top of her head.

"Good enough," she breathed. Suddenly, something her mother had told her ran through her head.

" _Didn't she say the son was my age? Oh, Latios,_ " she thought fleetingly before she realized how foolish she was being.

"So what if it is a guy my age. What do I care?" May commented aloud. She looked at herself in the mirror one more time and decided a little mascara never hurt anyone. Just as she finished applying the last coats of mascara, her mother began calling for her. Well, more like began yelling for her.

"May Maple! We're going to be late if you don't come down right now!" Caroline shouted from downstairs.

"Coming!" May shouted back as she grabbed her bag and bolted down the stairs.

Caroline was already at the door, waiting for May. She smiled apologetically at her mother, causing Caroline to sigh.

"Okay. Let's go," she said as she herded May out the door.

* * *

The walk to their neighbors' home was very short. The sun had already set, leaving only the house lights and streets lamps to illuminate the small town. May could feel her stomach churning more and more the closer they got. She felt nervous. This was the family of a great Hoenn professor. She had to make a good impression, or else she'd never get her own Pokemon. May attempted to calm her nerves by readjusting the hair bow, rubbing the soft fabric between her fingers soothingly.

The Birch home looked almost identical to May's home. The only noticeable difference was the lighter paint shade. Caroline approached the front door, with May trailing closely behind. She knocked three times and a distant "coming!" could be heard from the inside. It was a woman's voice.

" _That must be Mrs. Birch,_ " May thought

The door suddenly swung open and revealed a petite woman with ruby-brown eyes and chestnut colored hair and lightly suntanned skin. May couldn't help but notice just how beautiful she was.

"Caroline! It's been so long!" Lisa exclaimed and pulled Caroline into a tight hug.

"It's so nice to finally see you again!" Caroline as they pulled away.

May was hovering awkwardly beside the two older women, wondering if they had forgotten that she was there. Lisa directed her gaze to May and widened her eyes.

"You must be May! I've only ever seen you in photographs. My name is Lisa Birch," she said, giving May a warm smile.

"It's nice to meet you," May answered politely and returned the smile.

Lisa ushered them inside into the living room and said "Please make yourselves at home. Dinner will be ready soon."

Caroline smiled and looked around. She seemed to be looking for something.

"Lisa? Where's Brendan?" She asked

Lisa motioned upstairs.

"He's probably in his room. He must not have heard your arrival. May? Would you mind going up to get Brendan for me? His room is the first door on the left," Lisa said, giving May a bright smile.

She looked at her mother, who had the same smile as Lisa, and soon realized she didn't have much of a choice.

"I guess so." She mumbled and started the stairs, gripping the railing tightly with both annoyance and nervousness.

" _Why do I have to do this? I don't even know the guy!_ " May thought

She made it up the stairs and saw Brendan's door. As she was walking towards it, another nearby door caught her eye. It had "Luke" spelled out with large blue stickers, surrounded by drawings obviously made by a younger child.

"That's weird. They didn't mention another son. Just Brendan," May breathed out quietly as she made her way to that door instead.

She pressed her ear against the door, hoping to hear sounds indicating the presence of a young boy. Silence. Just as she was about to knock, another door swung open. A boy about May's age came about and immediately saw May.

"What do you think you're doing?" he snapped, causing May to jump.

"Oh hi. You must be Brendan. I'm May and your mom sent me to come get you for dinner," she answered back with apprehension in her voice, shocked by his harsh tone.

"Well, you're obviously at the wrong door. Hasn't anyone ever told you not to snoop?" he hissed, glaring at May.

She was at a loss for words. All she could do was stare at the boy with wide eyes. May couldn't comprehend what she had done to make him so angry. All she did was walk up to a door. It's not like she went into the room or stole something!

"Look, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to offend you. I was just curious," She apologized, trying to keep a level tone.

Brendan's harsh facial expression softened a bit. He took a deep breath and met May's gaze. She could see his clenched fists relax as well.

"I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have acted like that. It's just that I wasn't expecting anyone to be up here," he said, with obvious strain in his voice. He didn't seem to like the idea of apologizing.

"Since we've both apologized for our wrongdoings, let's start over. I'm May Maple, your new neighbor," She stuck her hand out to shake his hand. He reciprocated the action and took a deep breath.

"Brendan Birch. It's nice to meet you," He replied, with a small forced smile. It was obvious he was trying hard to be nice after their altercation.

"It's nice to meet you too," She said cheerily, making eye-contact with him. He towered over her. May was only up to his shoulders. She couldn't help but notice how beautiful his eyes were. They were the same ruby-brown color as his mother's. His skin was slightly tanner than his mother's, but he had the same chestnut colored hair. Brendan cleared his throat awkwardly and May realized she had been staring for a tad too long. They both suddenly became intensely interested in the floor. May could feel a slight blush creep up her face.

"We should probably go downstairs. Dinner must be ready by now," He said, trying to fill the awkward silence. May nodded and followed Brendan down the stairs.

Caroline and Lisa were setting the table together when Brendan and May walked in. Caroline looked up and immediately stopped what she was doing to greet Brendan.

"Brendan! How lovely to finally meet you. Your mother has told me so much about you," She pulled him into a hug without hesitation. Brendan tensed at her sudden action but relaxed and returned the hug. May rolled her eyes. Her mother was very social and a big fan of hugging. She released Brendan from her tight grip and gave him a warm smile.

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Maple," he said politely.

Lisa popped out from the kitchen and called Brendan over to help her and told May and Caroline to take a seat at the table,

"Isn't Brendan a handsome boy?" Caroline whispered to May with a wink. May's eyes widened and she could feel her cheeks begin to burn up.

"Mom!" She hissed, glaring at her mother.

Caroline gave a breathy laugh at her reaction and smiled at May. Before anything else could be said, Lisa and Brendan walked in, carrying plates. May wasn't sure what to expect from Hoenn food, but any concerns disappeared as she saw what was inside. It was just regular pasta. Brendan and Lisa took their seats across from Caroline and May. The first few minutes of the meal was spent in mostly silence, minus Caroline's comments about how much she liked Lisa's cooking. The silence was taking its toll on both women, who took upon themselves to force conversation out the two teens. The women bombarded them with questions like "Are you dating anyone?"(No from both ends), "May, do you have Pokemon of your own?"(Sadly, no), and "Brendan, do you have Pokemon?"(Yes). They were trying hard to keep the conversation going, but neither Brendan nor May was very interested in talking. While they had both apologized for their outbursts from before, there was still certain awkwardness between the teens.

"So May, have you thought about going on your adventure here in Hoenn? I think being in a new environment would make it even more exciting," Lisa asked May. Brendan tensed slightly beside Lisa and picked at the last of his meal. May hadn't noticed his sudden change in attitude.

May had begun answering, but Caroline interrupted.

"Well, we did just move here. I'm sure May would want to get settled in before thinking about leaving," she said while May gave her a curious look.

"I guess you're right, Caroline," Lisa answered with a knowing smile. They were hiding something, but May didn't bother asking what that something was. She figured she would find out sooner or later.

"What about you Brendan? Your mother mentioned your extensive experience with Pokemon," Caroline said to Brendan, whose facial expression had noticeably hardened.

"I don't do much of that anymore," he muttered, looking down at the table.

May watched him with worried eyes, not sure what had triggered this sudden change in attitude. Caroline realized she has said something wrong, and looked to Lisa for help.

"Oh, Brendan! You're a great trainer," she exclaimed, almost yelling. Brendan was trying hard to keep his composure.

"In fact, why don't you show your –" she began, until she was interrupted by Brendan.

"Sorry. I should be going. My Pokemon haven't eaten yet," He said, already walking out.

He stopped and turned back around.

"It was nice to meet you both," He said curtly and walked out the room.

May wasn't quite sure what had just happened. Lisa was already standing and picking up dishes.

"I'm really sorry about that. He's not usually like that. Training is just a sensitive topic for him," She apologized.

Caroline stood and began to help clearing the table.

"It's my fault. I shouldn't have brought that up. I'd forgotten about it when I said that," Caroline said sadly.

" _What did she forget about?_ " May pondered. She decided to not pry, especially after what had just happened.

"May, why don't you go ahead and head home? It's getting late. I'll be there in a bit," Caroline said to May. The look Caroline was giving her told her that it wasn't an option. She got up immediately and said goodbye to Lisa.

* * *

The walk home was quiet. There was no one outside anymore. May couldn't get what had just happened out of her head. Why did he react like that? Why was training a sensitive topic for him? What happened? May was almost home when she heard noises coming from the nearby woods. There was a voice. A guy's voice.

"That sounds like Brendan," she whispered and began to walk towards the noise.

The closer she got, the louder and more understandable Brendan got. He was talking to someone. She kept walking and eventually saw his figure from within the trees. She didn't want him to see her in case he hadn't cooled down fully, so she hid behind nearby bushes. He was sitting on a log with this head in his hands, surrounded by six Pokemon. They all looked incredibly powerful.

"Those must be his Pokemon," She whispered to herself, admiring how experienced they looked.

They all seemed to be trying to comfort Brendan, but he still looked upset, He had cooled down, but his initial anger had turned into misery. May watched him and almost went over to him, but decided against it. She was afraid she would only worsen his mood. Suddenly May lost her balance, and stepped on a twig, breaking it in half. The Pokemon immediately snapped their heads towards the noise. May froze in her spot, praying they wouldn't see her. Brendan looked up at his Pokemon and realized they had heard something. He stood up and looked in May's direction.

"Who's there?" he demanded, making his way in front of all the Pokemon.

May was holding her breath, weighing her options. She could just run and not turn around and hope he wouldn't see it was her or follow. Or she could face the consequences of snooping and reveal herself to Brendan.

"Come out now, or I'll have my Pokemon do it by force," He growled, getting more and more impatient. She shut her eyes and began to stand up when a lilac-colored, cat-like creature jumped over and landed on her lap. She screamed and jumped up, pushing the Pokemon off.

"Athena! I didn't say you could do that!" Brendan said, scolding his Pokemon. May thought he was busy with his Pokemon, so she tried sneaking away, but Brendan caught her.

"Wait," He said, making her stop in her tracks. She pivoted to face Brendan and immediately started apologizing.

"I'm really sorry! I know I shouldn't have been snooping like that. I was walking home and I heard a voice and I wanted to see where it was coming from and-"he cut her off.

"It's alright. It's not like you caused any harm," He said quietly, looking down. "Besides, I should be the one apologizing, considering how I stormed away from the dinner, " Brendan was looking down at the ground intensely, not wanting to meet May's eyes. He called back all his Pokemon, except for one.

She was watching him, not sure what to say. She began to open her mouth when the same Pokemon that has jumped on her earlier began to rub its body against her legs. May instinctively took a step back, and the Pokemon gave her a confused look.

"Don't be scared. She just telling you she likes you. Her name is Athena. She's an Espeon," He explained, watching the creature try to get May's attention.

May relaxed a little, and bent down slowly to pet the Espeon. Athena rubbed her head affectionately into her hand.

"That's strange. Athena usually doesn't like strangers. She must have sensed something about you," He said, barely loud enough for May to hear.

She looked up at him. There wasn't much light, but a distant street lamp illuminated the area just enough for them so see each other's faces. He didn't look as somber as he did earlier, which relieved May.

"So," she began as she stood, "Is everything all right?" she asked, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. May knew they had only met a few hours ago, but she couldn't help but worry.

"Everything's fine," He said in a cool voice. "It's getting late. You should be heading home now. I'll walk you."

She wanted to object but he had already started walking. May could do nothing but follow him. She caught up with him and they walked shoulder-to-shoulder. Well, more like shoulder-to-head, since Brendan was taller than May by almost a foot.

The walk back to May's home had been silent, but it wasn't an uncomfortable silence. May wanted to pry, but decided it wasn't her place to force him to open up. They barely knew anything about each other, having barely met. She settled with simply walking next to him, hoping he would say something. He remained silent until the houses were in sight.

"Here we are," He said and turned his head to look at May.

"I'll see you around. Good night."

"Oh. Good night. Thanks for walking me back," she said.

Brendan nodded and turned towards his house and May stood there watching as he walked away.

Maybe Hoenn wasn't going to be so boring after all.

* * *

Alright! That was Chapter 1. I really hope you guys liked it! I would appreciate any and all reviews. I always appreciate any constructive criticism, as I realize some of my grammar may not always be perfect. I hope you'll stick with me. I'll probably update in one or two weeks. Thanks so much!


	2. Chapter 2

Hello! First off, Thank you so much to everyone who has read my story so far. I really appreciate it! I'm really sorry for taking so long to update. Life has been pretty hectic because of school and my sports activities. Thankfully, I'm going to have a lot more free time now as the season is over for my sport. Anyways, here's chapter 2! I hope you guys enjoy it. Please review!

* * *

May had woken up early the next morning. She wanted to explore the town, even if it was fairly small. She left before her mom had even woken up, so she left a note on the way out.

May had already walked the perimeter of the town twice in a short span of about one hour. Surprisingly, a majority of Littleroot citizens were already out and about. They'd all greeted May warmly as she walked past them. They all treated May like she was a celebrity since they didn't often get new residents. She enjoyed the warm hellos and treats she had received just for walking by. May was about to begin her third walk around when she came across a group of kids playing with a ball.

"I remember doing that with my friends back in Azalea Town when I was a kid," she thought somberly.

She missed Azalea Town. She had lived there her whole life. All her friends and childhood memories were in Azalea Town. She had been so close to starting her adventure too. With the move, who knew how long until her parents would let her leave the house? Making new friends was an entirely different matter she had to attend too. The only person closest to her age was Brendan, who she wanted to believe already counted as a friend, even if they had only met the day before.

May continued walking until she got close to the main entrance of Littleroot, which leads out to forestry and large patches of tall grass. She stopped and stared at it for a while, considering what would happen if she were to step out, just for a second?

Suddenly, her train of thought was disrupted by a shrill scream coming from outside the town. She looked around, trying to figure out which direction the sound was coming from when the children from before came into view. They were running towards May and yelling something incoherent. The closer they got, the better she was able to decipher what was being yelled.

"The professor is in trouble! Someone needs to go help him!" only one child spoke, making it perfectly clear what was going on.

May's head was reeling. She stood and stared at the children, frozen in shock.

"Where is he?" she managed

The kids all pointed in the same direction as more yells were heard. May turned and looked, weighing her options. She could go and look for someone or she could do it herself.

"We should go find Brendan! I'm sure he'll know what to do," one of the kids said, already turning to try and find him.

"No! There's no time. I'll go," May said suddenly, not realizing what she had said until it was too late.

"I don't have any Pokemon! What am I going to do?" she thought to herself, staring at the path leading out the town, which suddenly looked much more menacing than before.

The kids were already set on May going out there since she had offered herself. Her father's voice seemed to be screaming in her head to not step out into the wilderness unprotected, but she wasn't listening. Before she could talk any sense into herself, May began walking towards the entrance. She stopped in front of the exit, staring down at the worn-out path. Taking a deep breath, she took her first step into the wilderness, alone.

The yells seemed to be getting more and more desperate, making May walk faster. She was terrified something would jump out at her and attack, but that was the least of her problems. She had to save the professor, no matter what.

After excruciating minutes of walking, she came across a clearing. There, she saw something almost laughable.

A small, gray canine Pokemon was standing fiercely, with its sharp fangs gleaming in the morning sun. May identified it as a Poochyena, from past experiences. In front of this Pokemon was a bearded man in a lab coat, which she assumed had to be Professor Birch. He was slowly backing away from the growling Pokemon when he noticed May.

"Hey, you! You have to help me!" he cried, looking more desperate by the minute.

"What do you want me to do?" she yelled, looking around for anything to lure the Poochyena away.

"My bag! It's over by your feet," Professor Birch said quickly, pointing to a light-brown bag on the ground next to May. "There are poke balls in there. Grab one and use it!"

May grabbed the bag and rummaged madly through it, brushing her hand against scattered papers, until she felt something round. She pulled out one of the poke balls randomly and released it. In a bright flash of red, a small, orange-red, chick Pokemon appeared. It has tufts of feathers on its head and its body, giving the illusion of small wings.

"Torchic," it said, hopping wildly around, awaiting a command from May.

The Poochyena averted its attention away from the professor to focus on the Torchic. It bared its fangs viciously at the chick Pokemon. May knew she had to act fast. She had experience in battling, considering her father was a gym leader. However, this was the first time she would be battling with actual potential danger.

Deciding that Torchic had to be a fire type, she called out the first move, hoping it actually knew it.

"Use Ember!" she yelled out, praying she said the right move.

The small Pokemon dawned a look of understanding and charged towards the Poochyena, preparing to release a small flame from its beak. As soon as it was close enough, it shot the flame directly into the Poochyena's face. It let out a yelp and jumped back. The Poochyena tried to get back into its battle stance, but eventually gave up because of the pain, and disappeared into the woods.

"We did it! Nice going Torchic!" May cheered, taking in her victory.

"Thank you for that! I wasn't sure I was ever going to get away from that Poochyena," the professor joked as he picked up his bag.

"It was no problem," May said back.

Professor Birch was looking at her, trying to decide if he knew her already.

"I don't believe I've seen you around these parts. Could I get a name?" he asked,

"I'm May Maple. I just moved her with my family. My dad is Norman." She answered, assuming the mention of her dad would help.

A bright smile grew on his face when he realized who she was.

"May! I should have known, considering how well you handled that Torchic. You take after your father," he said happily

"Thanks," she said, giving an awkward laugh

Torchic came over and rubbed its head against May's leg. It gave a happy chirp to May so she bent down to pick it up.

"I couldn't have done it without you, Torchic," she said affectionally.

"You know," Professor Birch began, watching the interactions of Torchic and May, "Torchic seems to have grown fairly attached to you already. Why don't you keep her?"

He handed May Torchic's empty poke ball. She was staring at him with wide eyes and an open mouth.

"Really? I would love to have her! Thank you so, so much!" she beamed, clutching her new Torchic tightly to her chest.

"Take it as a thank you for saving me," he said, giving an amused laugh because of her reaction.

May couldn't help but stare at Torchic. It was her very first Pokemon. She never thought this would happen so soon. Hoenn was looking better and better every second for May. She would have someone to keep her entertained in the small town of Littleroot. She couldn't help but tighten her hug in delight. Torchic seemed to enjoy the attention since it was rubbing its head against May's arms lovingly.

Her cuddling-fest with Torchic was rudely interrupted by the unmistakable sound of howls. Specifically, Poochyena howls. The original Poochyena seemed to still be holding a grudge against May. It was advancing quickly.

"Perhaps we should leave the area. Something tells me this place isn't exactly the safest to be having a chat," Professor Birch stated as he picked up the rest of his belongings.

May agreed instantly and together they made their way back to the entrance of Littleroot.

Seeing the entrance to Littleroot has never made May happier. While her little venture out in the wilderness had been fun, she needed a break from all the excitement. And she needed some more bonding time with her new friend, Torchic.

"Well, I've been speaking to your parents about you leaving on a Pokemon adventure, and they seem to agree it would be the best option for you. I can have your trainer license ready in about three days," Professor Birch told May

"They said I could actually leave? Oh my gosh! I never thought they would let me leave so quickly," she said, already imagining herself battling and traveling across Hoenn.

"I have work to do, so I'll be taking my leave. I'll let you know when your trainer license is registered," he said as he started towards his lab. "You know," he turned back to May, "most trainers give their Pokemon nicknames."

May shot him a toothy grin and waved goodbye to the professor, already thinking of potential nicknames for Torchic.

* * *

May was sat on the grass in front of her house. Torchic was running around in front of her while she was trying to think of a suitable nickname for the fire-type.

"Torchic," she called out.

Torchic stopped playing to give May all her attention.

"I want to give you a nickname. Is that all right?" she asked, hoping for some sort of indication of Torchic's approval.

Torchic chirped happily and May took it as a yes.

"Alright," she said, staring at the Pokemon. "Do you like the name Flare?"

She nodded eagerly and continued to play in the grass.

"Perfect! Your new name is Flare," she beamed.

May was curious as to what other moves Flare knew. So far she was only familiar with ember. She stood up from her spot in the grass and looked around for something to train with. Her eyes landed on the large trees nearby and instantly had an idea.

"Hey Flare," she called out, successfully capturing her attention, "come here."

Flare came running towards May. Well, more like waddling at a fast pace, but hurrying nonetheless. She gave a little chirp and waited for instructions from May.

"Alright, I want to figure out what other moves you know," she said and motioned towards the tree trunk in front of them.

"Can you try scratch on this tree?" she asked

Flare seemed to know Scratch and began slashing away at the trunk with her talons. The bark was slowly being scratched off and fell in piles at the duo's feet.

"Ok, I think that's enough," May said, satisfied with the power of Flare's attack.

"Do you know tackle?" she asked, hoping for a yes.

Thankfully Flare understood this one as well and launched herself at the tree, promptly landing on the ground rather harshly. It seemed like Flare had been expecting the tree to move from the impact and was confused when she was the only one affected. May couldn't help but giggle at Flare's reaction and picked her up before another attempt to tackle the tree could be made.

"Nice job Flare. I think we might need to give that poor tree a break," she joked

Flare took a look at the tree and seemed content with her work and stopped fidgeting in May's arms. May could hear footsteps coming from her right. When she turned, she saw her mother approaching the house. She'd gone to visit Lisa again this morning while May was out. Caroline was carrying a small basket full of cookies, courtesy of Lisa. May had never been more excited to see her mother. She could show off her brand new Pokemon!

"Hello, May! You really missed out today. Lisa and I made cookies and I know how much you love-"she stopped, landing her gaze on a certain orange-red chick Pokemon and May's arms.

"May, where did you get that?" she asked, voice surprisingly calm.

"Isn't she just the cutest thing? I ran into Professor Birch and helped him out with something and he gave me this Torchic! Her name is Flare," May said, grinning from ear-to-ear.

Caroline took a deep breath, knowing she wasn't going to be able to talk May out of this.

"Well, this certainly happened much sooner than your father and I had anticipated," Caroline said.

May gave her a confused looked.

"Wait, you guys knew I was going to get a Pokemon?" she asked, feeling a bit hurt that they had kept this a secret from her, especially after moving her to a new region.

"Yes, we did. We had talked to Professor Birch before moving. Your father felt bad about forcing you to leave Johto before starting your adventure, so he wanted to make it up to you. Your father and I want to give you the opportunity to travel here in Hoenn. Although, the professor was supposed to wait until your father was able to come visit us, which was next week," Caroline explained, looking slightly annoyed over the sudden change of plans.

May was shocked, to say the least. She hadn't expected her parents to let her have a Pokemon so soon.

"Thank you so much! You're the best! I really can't believe," May beamed and went to give her mother a hug, forgetting Flare was still in her arms.

May practically tackled Caroline, accidently crushing Flare in the process. Flare let out an angry squeak, causing May to release the hug.

"Sorry Flare," she said in between laughs.

Things really were starting to look up. Johto seemed like a distant memory for May. She could only think of her quickly approaching future as a Pokemon trainer.

Caroline left May and Flare alone after their conversation. They sat together outside for a few more minutes until a familiar face approached. Professor Birch was walking towards the duo, looking noticeably less disheveled than before.

"Hello May and Torchic!" he called out, giving them a smile.

"Hi, Professor! And her name is Flare now," she said back and gestured towards the small Pokemon sitting next to her.

"Well, hello Flare," he said, giving a small chuckle. "Anyway, May, if it's not too much trouble, could you do me another favor?"

May looked up questioningly and Flare even stopped playing to give Professor Birch her attention.

"Sure, I'd love too!" she said, more than happy to help the man who gave her her very own Pokemon.

"Fantastic! Brendan is just outside of Oldale Town doing some work for me, and I was hoping you would be able to bring him back over here for me? It's not that far of a walk and you should be fine now that you have Flare."

May hesitated. While she assumed her and Brendan were on good terms, she wasn't exactly ecstatic about having to go see him alone. She knew she couldn't deny Professor Birch his request after everything he'd done for her. Flare wouldn't be with her if it hadn't been for the Professor.

"Sure, I can do that," May said, still not completely happy with what she was being asked to do.

"Thank you, May!" he said, not looking surprised that she agreed. "You'll find Brendan north of Oldale Town. There will be signs telling you how to get there. One more thing, I managed to submit the paperwork for your trainers license sooner than I expected, so please stop by the lab with Brendan so we can get everything sorted out."

May's mood was instantly lifted at the idea of being able to leave soon. She stood up and motioned for Flare to follow her.

"We'll be back soon, Professor!" she said as her and Flare walked towards the entrance of town.

* * *

Being outside of town felt significantly less terrifying now that she had Flare to protect her in case of an attack. She'd been walking for about five minutes and was surprised that nothing had attacked her yet. Flare was walking beside her but was having trouble keeping up with May's longer strides.

"Hey Flare, do you want me to carry you? You can sit on my shoulder if you want," she asked.

Flare looked relieved. She seemed to already be sick of walking and gladly accepted May's offer. May held out her arms and picked up Flare to place her on her shoulder. After Flare settled down, May quickened her pace, wanting to get back to the lab to pick up her license as soon as possible.

Just as Professor Birch had said, the walk wasn't long at all. Oldale Town was finally coming into sight after only fifteen minutes of walking. It was only slightly larger than Littleroot. May didn't bother taking the time to get to know the town. She figured she would get to do that when she started her journey. The mission for right now was to find Brendan.

Route 103 was north of Oldale, according to a sign May passed. She followed the arrow, looking around for a tall brown-haired boy. May kept walking until she came across a small lake. There she found Brendan leaned against the nearby trees, looking out to the river. He was writing something in a notebook, completely zoned out from everything around him. Brendan hadn't noticed her presence, so she stepped closer. Finally, she ended up clearing her throat loudly to get his attention. Brendan looked up and saw May and turned back to his notebook.

"Hey," he said.

May was slightly annoyed he didn't fully acknowledge her, but she let it go.

"What are you doing?" she asked, curious as to why he was staring at the lake.

"I was doing fieldwork, but now I'm taking a little break," he said, shutting his notebook and turning to look at May fully.

Brendan gave her a small smile and started to gather the rest of his stuff that was still on the ground. He clipped his Poke ball belt back onto his waist and gave May a confused look

"Why did you come all the way out here to find me?" he asked.

"Oh right, your dad wanted me to get you," she said

"All right," he began and then set his gaze on Flare, "did my dad give you that Torchic?"

Brendan didn't seem particularly fond of Flare judging from his body language. He had tensed slightly when he finally noticed her sitting on May's shoulder. May hadn't noticed his change in attitude.

"Yeah! I did a little favor for your dad and he gave me Flare in return," she said happily and patted Flare on the head.

"Well, we should probably be heading back now. My dad must be waiting," he said, already walking away from May and Flare.

May was confused by Brendan's actions. When he first saw her, he was acting fine. He even gave her a smile. It was a small smile, but a smile nonetheless. The moment he noticed Flare, his entire demeanor changed. It was obvious he didn't want to talk about it since he walked off without bothering to wait for May. May decided it would be best to return Flare into her poke ball for now. She was going to ask him about it later if she got the chance, but for now, she just wanted to get back to the lab.

They walked back to Littleroot together mostly in silence. May tried to make conversation by asking him about what he did for his dad. Brendan explained that he just studied nearby Pokemon and their habitats, but didn't go very into detail. The job seemed boring to May. All he did was watch Pokemon all day? Didn't he ever train or anything like that?

The entrance to Littleroot finally came into sight. May hadn't been to the lab yet, so she let Brendan led the way. Not that she really needed the guidance as the lab was easy to pick out from all the houses. It was bigger than all the other buildings but still looked like a house. Brendan opened the door and held it open for May to walk through first.

"Wow, what a gentleman," she said teasingly, causing Brendan to let out a quiet chuckle.

"I try," he joked and walked in after May

The lab was a mess. There were papers and books scattered everywhere. The actual scientists didn't look any better. Many were running around frantically carrying clipboards. A few of them stopped to greet Brendan, but none of them bothered giving May a second glance. Brendan kept walking towards the back of the lab so May followed and tried not to accidently walk into one of the scientists running around. Professor Birch could be seen looking at a large screen at the very back of the lab.

"Dad," Brendan called out.

Professor Birch turned and gave a huge smile to the two of them.

"I see May was able to find you!" he said and turned to May, "Thank you for the help May."

Brendan was getting impatient. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other and crossed his arms.

"What did you need me for?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing really. I was just curious about your data for today," Professor Birch answered and turned away from Brendan, who had a baffled expression on his face.

Brendan handed him the notebook, but the Professor took it out of his hand and set it on his desk. Brendan raised an eyebrow at his father and began to say something but was cut off by Professor Birch

"So May, as I told you earlier, I managed to get your paperwork in quicker than I thought. You can officially start your journey!" he said and opened one of the drawers from a nearby desk.

He pulled out a small red device and handed it to May. Professor Birch had registered her license onto a Pokedex!

"Thank you, Professor! You really didn't have to-"

"Don't worry about it, May," he cut her off. "I tend to come across these much easier than most people. It's going to be a big help while you're traveling across Hoenn."

May was ecstatic. Brendan, on the other hand, looked like he was about to explode from annoyance. He was still upset about getting dragged all the way back here for no real reason.

"While the Pokedex will be helpful with learning about the Pokemon here in Hoenn, it would be even better if you had someone who knows what they're doing." Professor Birch said, eyeing Brendan out of the corner of his eyes.

Brendan's face darkened and he gripped onto the table harshly, turning his knuckles white. His entire body tensed as he glared at his father. May took a step away from the angry boy and stared at him in shock.

"No, I am never doing it again." Brendan hissed, almost in a whisper.

May glanced over at Professor Birch looking for a reaction, but all he did was let out a deep sigh and turned away from the teens.

"It's been three years, Brendan. Maybe it's for the be-"

"I said no. It's out of the question," Brendan's voice had risen significantly, filling the ears of everyone in the lab.

The other scientists fell silent and the lab was filled with an uncomfortable silence. Brendan straightened and cleared his throat.

"If that's all, I'll be leaving now," he said, bringing his voice back to a normal volume.

"Sorry. Good luck."

Brendan turned on his heel and stormed down the lab and out the door, letting it slam behind him. May was still in complete shock from had just happened. She'd seen him get upset, but not that upset. Professor Birch seemed to have gotten over the incident quite quickly since he went back to his work. May wasn't going to let this go. She stared down the professor, silently urging him to explain what had just happened. He sighed once again and focused his attention on May.

"I apologize for my son's behavior just now. Please don't think badly of him. He's not usually like this. I just crossed a line with him again," he explained, earning a confused look from May

"I suppose your parents haven't mentioned the incident to you yet," he motioned for May to take a seat across from him.

"About three years ago," he began, "Our youngest son Luke was killed by a fire Pokemon."

May's eyes widened and she gave a small gasp.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, Professor," she whispered.

"Thank you, May," he said and continued his explanation.

"Brendan had decided to postpone his journey to accompany his younger brother. he wanted to help his brother and end the journey together. They had managed to get quite far, but sadly, their travels were ended on Mt. Chimney. Something set off the Camerupt in the area and set them on a rage. Brendan and Luke happened to be in the wrong spot at the wrong time. Neither of them was prepared for the sudden attack by the Camerupt. They saw the boys and used one of their fire attacks. Brendan tried pulling Luke out of the way, but he had been too far. Both of them were burned, but Luke's injuries were more severe. Sadly, he couldn't recover and he passed away days later. He was only eleven."

"That's terrible. I can't begin to imagine how that must have felt," May said.

May couldn't imagine having to go through the pain of losing a loved one like that. That's why Brendan had reacted so harshly about the idea of traveling again.

"Did Brendan ever finish his journey?" she asked.

Professor Birch sighed, "Sadly no. He was close. Brendan has all the gym badges, but he never challenged the league."

The professor stood up and walked around the room. May wasn't sure if he was going to continue explaining until he turned back around.

"It took quite a while until I could get Brendan to at least consider helping me with my work to keep his mind off of his brother," he continued.

May wasn't sure what to say. She understood why he had made the suggestion of May joining her. He wanted his son to finish what he started.

"Do you think he'll change his mind about coming with me?" she asked, wanting to help Brendan.

"I'm not sure. We've tried telling him to challenge the league every year, but he's never listened," Professor Birch looked almost used to saying all this about Brendan, which made May want to help even more.

"But why? He's obviously talented and incredibly powerful. Brendan could beat the league with ease!" May cried

She couldn't fathom the idea of having so much power and not doing anything with it.

"Brendan blames himself for his brother's death. He thinks it would be selfish of him to finish what he and his brother were going to do together."

May was speechless. She understood the hesitation Brendan felt, but she also felt like his potential was going to waste. May wanted to help him. She wanted to see him battle. She'd been lucky enough to catch a glimpse of his Pokemon the day before, but she didn't get to see their potential.

"What if I talk to him? Maybe I can convince him to go with me," she suggested.

"You can try, but I can't guarantee he'll come around," he sighed.

May didn't care. She had to try. Brendan needed help and she was determined to give him just that.

* * *

Well, there it is! I hope to have my next chapter up in a week so please stick with me!


	3. Chapter 3

I'm not dead! I'm so sorry for taking so long to make this update! My school life has been pretty hectic. I've been busy with studying for my AP tests, finals, and my SAT, which were all taking up a lot of my free time. Thats's all over now since school is out for summer break, so I'll be able to update much more often. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

May left the lab after the Professor gave her a few pointers on how to use her new Pokedex. Her first attempt went terribly. She pressed one button and almost managed to erase all of her data. It was more complicated than it seemed.

She couldn't get her conversation with Professor Birch out of her head. Brendan was letting his talent go to waste and she wasn't going to stand for it. Sure, May had only met Brendan recently, but that wasn't going to stop her from wanting to help her new friend. She wanted Brendan to come with and she was going to do whatever it took to make him agree.

It was starting to get late, but this wasn't going to stop May from going off to find Brendan. She hoped he had simply gone back to his house since that would make her search so much easier, but it wasn't the most likely. Still, she had to give it a shot. Mrs. Birch was in her front yard tending to her garden when May approached.

"Hello, Mrs. Birch!" May called out

Lisa looked up and smiled at the girl. She wiped the dirt off her hands stood up to fully face May.

"Hello May, did you need something?" she asked

"I was just wondering if Brendan was here?" May asked, hoping for a yes.

"Sorry dear, but you just missed him. He did mention going out to Route 103 before he left, so I'd try looking there." Lisa suggested

May thanked her and walked off, leaving Lisa to continue what she had been doing.

She really didn't want to walk all the way back to Route 103 for the 2nd time today, but she knew she had to take this opportunity to talk him into joining her on her journey. May let Flare out of her poke ball to keep her company on her walk. Flare came out with a bright flash and landing in front of May.

"Hey there, I have to go find Brendan. Are you up for keeping me company?" May asked her Torchic

Flare gave a series of happy chirps, which May took as a definite yes. She picked Flare up and hugged the chick Pokémon to her chest and began her walk to Oldale once again.

* * *

She found her way to Oldale much quicker this time than the first time around. Oldale was much emptier since it was getting later. May kept walking to where Brendan was supposed to be when she realized she had no idea what she was going to tell him. She stopped in her tracks to think through what she was even going to say to him without upsetting him any further than he already was. Flare looked up at May questioningly.

"Hey Brendan, sorry about your brother but you should totally travel with me to get over your unresolved issues and whatnot _,"_ She whispered to herself.

Flare pecked at May's arms, seemingly trying to tell her that she wasn't being smart about the situation.

"Oh hush," she hissed at Flare.

This was going to be harder than she thought.

"I'll just wing it," she concluded and continued walking towards Route 103.

The closer she got, the more nervous she became. What if he still said no? May really didn't want to delay her departure all because Brendan wouldn't agree to go with her. What if Brendan hated her for not dropping the subject? Brendan was her first real friend in Hoenn (apart from Flare) and she didn't want to ruin this friendship. She knew she had to careful with her words.

The lake finally came into view, as well as Brendan. He was in the same spot that May found him in earlier that day. May decided to return Flare to her poke ball since she now knew he wasn't particularly fond of fire types. Brendan noticed May immediately and stared her down as she approached. He was obviously still upset about what had happened in the lab and was trying to deter her from bringing it back up. May felt intimidated, but she wasn't about to stop what she was going to say.

"What do you want?" he snapped, irritation dripping from his voice.

"Sorry," May muttered and took a deep breath.

"I just wanted to know how you were doing. You kind of just stormed out …" she trailed off, looking down at her shoes.

Brendan's expression softened slightly as he let out a sigh.

"Sorry if I scared you or anything. I just-," he paused, "I don't like talking about that. I realize I overreacted but I couldn't help it."

"I understand. Your dad told me what happened. I'm really sorry about your brother," she said.

"Thanks," he said curtly. Brendan sounded like he was used to hearing that by now.

They stood in silence for a moment while watching the lake water ripple with the breeze. The sun was almost completely set, and darkness was beginning to engulf the area. Brendan grabbed his bag that was on the floor, hinting to May that they should probably get going.

"We should head back now. It's getting late and I'm not in the mood to deal with any wild Pokémon right now," he suggested

May agreed, but she wasn't going to drop the subject quite yet. They walked together in silence for a few minutes. Brendan walked quickly, wanting to avoid any questions from May. She was getting impatient. She cleared her throat to get his attention, but to no avail. It seemed like Brendan had decided to pretend May didn't exist for the time being, which she didn't exactly appreciate. She couldn't take it anymore. Something had to be said.

"Brendan," she blurted out as she stopped walking.

He reluctantly stopped and turned around with a slightly irritated look on his face. Brendan looked like he would rather be anywhere else than standing there with May, but raised an eyebrow at her, waiting for more.

"I know you already said no but please come with me. I could really use the help since I have virtually no experience in training and you also need to fi-"she rambled until Brendan cut her off.

"May, I'm sorry, but I really don't think I could do it again. Besides, it's been like 4 years. I'm way out of practice," he said, keeping his voice surprisingly calm.

"But Brendan!" she practically yelled, "I know I'm going to need all the help I can get. I really have no idea what the heck I'm doing, but you do. It doesn't matter that you're out of practice! And I really think it will help you too."

He stood there and stared at her, seemingly weighing his options. He looked annoyed, but also deep in thought. There was a long silence before Brendan finally spoke up.

"If I say yes," he started. "Will you actually listen to my advice? And respect that I will not be battling competitively for any reason whatsoever?"

This was music to May's ears. Her whole face lit up. She did it!

"Really? You're saying yes?" she squealed, practically jumping for joy.

"Only if you agree to my conditions," he asserted.

Brendan looked less than enthusiastic over giving in to May.

"Yes, I'll listen! I promise," she cheered, grinning from ear-to-ear.

Brendan looked beyond irritated he let May talk him into agreeing. He sighed, knowing it was too late to turn back now. May was far too happy for him to change his mind.

"Now that that's settled, let's actually head back to Littleroot. It's getting late. Having no more interruptions or unexpected stops would be highly appreciated," He muttered and turned away from May.

Brendan started walking without bothering to wait for May. She didn't want to argue with him or upset him any further. She knew he wasn't happy about saying yes and she didn't want him to suddenly change his mind. Brendan was already well ahead of her, so she had to half-walk half-run to catch up to the boy. He seemed to finally realize he had left May pretty far behind and slowed down his pace. She managed to catch up and matched her pace with Brendan's to walk side-by-side. Together, they made the walk back to Littleroot.

* * *

The rest of the walk back had been mostly silent. May attempted making small talk, but Brendan would limit his answers to single sentences, discouraging her from continuing her efforts. She wondered if Brendan would be like this while they traveled too. She hoped his minimal attempt at conversation was only because he was still momentarily upset over his recent decisions. Shortly after entering Littleroot, Brendan finally decided to speak.

"Come with me to the lab. I need to tell my dad that I'm actually going with you," Brendan said.

May nodded and followed Brendan back to the lab for the second time today. She couldn't wait to tell the Professor the news. He was going to be ecstatic that Brendan changed his mind. From what Professor Birch had told her earlier, he'd been trying to convince Brendan to finish his journey for almost 4 years now.

The lab was just as bustling as their first visit. The only difference was that most of the scientists were actually sitting at a desk working, as opposed to running around like wild Pokémon. Professor Birch wasn't where he was before, so May followed Brendan down a long hallway to a door with his dad's name.

Professor Birch was sat at his desk filling out paperwork when they walked in. He looked up and smiled at the pair.

"What are you two doing here?" he asked

Brendan spoke up before May got the chance.

"I just wanted to tell you that I changed my mind. I'm going with May," he said quickly, not enjoying what he was saying.

Professor Birch's eyes widened from the shock.

"That's wonderful! What made you change your mind?" he asked

"Well, May over here decided to come bother me all the way in Route 103. She even yelled at one point to get her point across. It was compelling and also very, very annoying. Saying yes was really the only way to get her to stop," he said, smirking at May.

May scoffed and elbowed him lightly. Brendan couldn't help but laugh lightly at her reaction.

"Thank you May, this will be great for both of you," Professor Birch told May, chuckling at the teens' interactions.

May was grinning at the Professor, happy to have been able to help him. Even Brendan was beginning to look less miserable.

"When will you be leaving?" asked Professor Birch

"We should leave as soon as possible, so I was thinking tomorrow morning," Brendan suggested, seeming to be in a somewhat better mood than before.

May stared at Brendan, shocked that he was ready to leave so soon. She was going to suggest leaving a few days later, since she had just moved to Hoenn, but she decided against it since she had just promised to listen to his advice a short while back. It was too soon to try and break one of Brendan's rules. Besides, Brendan didn't sound like he was up for any negotiations.

"Fantastic! In the event that I get dragged into work and don't get to be there to send you off tomorrow morning, I wish you both the best of luck," Professor Birch exclaimed

They thanked him and headed out. If they were going to leave early, they had to get home soon. Brendan offered to walk May back home, which she went ahead and accepted. The walk from the lab to her house isn't long, but she always appreciated other peoples company, especially when she was going to be traveling with this person for probably months. Once they reached May's house, Brendan stopped her to talk about tomorrow.

"We should leave early. It'd be nice if we could reach Petalburg by tomorrow. Oldale really doesn't have much to offer, so I think we should just pass through. Meet me at the entrance of town at 8 AM and we'll head out. Don't be late," he said.

"Got it. 8 AM tomorrow. See you tomorrow then," she replied as she walked towards her front door.

Brendan nodded and said goodbye, turning to return to his own home. She watched him leave for a moment before going inside. May couldn't wait to become a trainer, and to have the help of someone as experienced as Brendan. She'd been waiting for this moment all her life, and now she was only hours away from starting.

"Mom, I'm home!" May called out as she walked through the front door.

Caroline was sitting at their kitchen table watching television when May walked in.

"Where have you been? You never told me where you were headed after I saw you earlier and you were gone for hours," Caroline said somewhat annoyed at May.

"Sorry, Mom. I was with Brendan and the Professor. I lost track of time and I forgot to check in," she apologized.

"I guess I can let it slide this time since you were trying to be social. What were you doing?" Caroline asked, happy that May was trying to be friends with Brendan.

"Professor Birch asked me to go find Brendan over in Route 103 and bring him back to the lab. Then the Professor gave me my trainers license and my own Pokedex! I can start traveling now!" May exclaimed

"Oh, that's great! I was hoping you wouldn't be leaving for at least a little while longer, but I don't want to stop you from leaving when you've been waiting for this. Did the Professor convince Brendan to go with you?" Caroline said

"You knew he was going to ask Brendan?" May questioned her mother, not appreciating all the recent secret-keeping coming from her mother.

"Yes, I knew. Professor Birch talked to your father and me about it and we all agreed that it would be a great idea," she explained

"Oh, well you'll be happy to know he said yes. At first, Brendan had declined the offer and left the lab. Professor Birch told me what happened to Brendan's younger brother, so I decided I was going to go convince him to say yes. Somehow, I managed to get through to him. We were going to leave tomorrow, if that's alright with you," May said

May noticed that Caroline was taken aback over the fact that they wanted to leave tomorrow. Judging from her expression, she had expected them to wait a few more days.

"Are you sure you're ready to leave so soon?" Caroline asked.

"Yes, I'm ready. I'll be fine. I'll have Brendan with me and he knows what he's doing," May replied, trying to reassure her mother

Caroline didn't say anything else. All she could do was pull her daughter into a hug. May was surprised at first but eventually returned the hug. When she pulled away, Caroline had tears forming in her eyes.

"Well, if you're going to leave tomorrow, you should head upstairs to sleep. You have an early start tomorrow."

* * *

May was mesmerized over her reflection in the mirror. She never thought she would actually be leaving for her journey, and here she was, dressed and ready to go. This was definitely the most exciting day of her life (other than the day she got Flare, of course). She was in her regular outfit, which consisted of a red tank top with a black collar and white shorts, and under the black shorts was black spandex. The only addition was her backpack that her mom had packed with money, a change of clothes, potions, Poke chow, some assorted snacks, and other smaller feminine things like mascara.

She was finally ready to leave. She took another look in the mirror and decided something was missing. May scanned the room and saw her red bandana lying on her bed and instantly knew she needed it. She tied it onto her ponytail to look like an oversized bow.

"Perfect," she whispered.

Caroline was waiting for May downstairs. She was already getting teary-eyed from just seeing May dressed to leave.

"All ready? Do you have everything you need? Maybe we should go through your bag again. We might have forgotten some-," Caroline rambled shakily as she reached for May's backpack.

"Mom, I have everything. We've triple-checked this bag," May tried to reassure her mother.

"Well forgive me for worrying," Caroline joked.

May looked over at the clock on the wall. It was already about five minutes until 8. She was going to be late if she didn't hurry.

"Mom, I really have to go. I don't want to keep Brendan waiting. Will you walk with me?" May said.

Caroline nodded and together they went out the door to meet up with Brendan.

Brendan was already at the entrance of town, standing with both of his parents. Lisa was in a similar state as Caroline; both were trying to hold back tears. Professor Birch, on the other hand, looked like the happiest man in Hoenn. His son was finally willingly leaving the house again, and not just for fieldwork.

May and Caroline approached the three. Lisa was the first to notice and immediately pulled Caroline into a hug as soon as she was within arms reach. May watched as Brendan snuck a glance at Lisa and Caroline and rolled his eyes, but had a hint of a smile on his face.

"Hey," May said to Brendan

"Wow, you're on time. What a surprise. Will I be able to expect this for the rest of our trip together?" he joked, earning a slight glare from May.

"A simple hello back would have been just fine y'know," she said, annoyed at Brendan's sarcasm.

"Hi, May," he chuckled and gave her a small smile.

Professor Birch gathered Lisa and Caroline and directed all the attention was back on the two teens.

"Well, you two should really get going. Petalburg is fairly far from here, and we also let Norman know you were heading over, so I'm sure he's waiting to see his daughter," Professor Birch said, directing that last part at May.

May's eyes brightened at the mention of her dad. It had been weeks since she'd last seen Norman, and the last time she talked with him, she wasn't a trainer yet. She was a little nervous about seeing him as a new trainer.

"Dad's right, we should head out now," Brendan agreed.

Both of the teens' mothers pulled their kids into a tight hug, despite various protests, coming mainly from Brendan.

"Remember, if you ever need anything, call home. All the Poke centers have a phone, so please call us every once in a while, so we know everything is going well. We love both of you so much," Caroline said

May was getting more and more anxious to leave. She loved her mom, but sometimes her emotions go a bit overboard. She snuck a glance at Brendan, who was also starting to look slightly impatient.

"We love you guys too. Now if you'll excuse us, we'll be on our way," Brendan spoke up

May gave one last hug to her mom and Brendan did the same to his own parents before finally heading towards the town entrance. Together, they waved goodbye and made their way out of Littleroot.

* * *

"Okay, Petalburg is about a three-hour walk from here, but I want to make a stop so you can attempt challenging other trainers along the way. I want to see how well you do. The trainers in this area are generally all beginners like you, especially in Oldale. I'm assuming you at least know the basics of having a battle, right?" Brendan said as they walked down Route 101

"Of course, I do! While I've never owned a Pokémon up until yesterday, I did go to trainers school, and in case you forgot, my dad is a gym leader. I think I can handle a battle," May replied

"Good. Oldale's Pokémon center is usually occupied with trainers looking for opponents, so we'll make a stop there to see how well you do," he continued.

May nodded. She had had battles before at her old school back in Johto and had always been one of the better students, but the idea of battling felt different now. She wasn't battling for a grade anymore. She was battling to make her way to the Hoenn Pokémon league one day. May also wanted to show Brendan she was capable of being as good a trainer as he is.

"Speaking of Pokémon battles," May began, wanting to learn more about Brendan, "do you ever still battle?"

"Not really. I do train my Pokémon often, but there aren't many trainers I can challenge in this area," he responded.

"Don't you miss it?" she asked, thinking about how her dad probably wouldn't be able to go a single day without training or battling.

"I guess I do sometimes. It used to be my favorite thing to do. Working for my dad can get pretty boring and I'm sure my Pokémon aren't always happy with being stuck in Littleroot," Brendan said

May nodded, happy to be getting actual conversation out of Brendan. He was being surprisingly cooperative with answering May's questions this morning and she hoped this would continue throughout the trip.

"So, when do I get to meet the rest of your team?" she asked thinking back on a couple nights ago when she was able to meet his Espeon, Athena.

"Maybe once we get to Petalburg. They usually don't like strangers, but I guess you'll have to meet them eventually. Athena seemed to have liked you, so that's a good sign. She's one of the more picky ones. My dad gave her to me as a gift when she was still an Eevee because I was the only one she was cooperating with," Brendan said and rested his hand on his poke ball belt, presumably on Athena's poke ball.

Oldale was finally coming into view and May was being to feel anxious over the fact that she was going to challenge someone soon. She hadn't really gotten much of a chance to train or practice with Flare. The only battle she has had so far was while she was protecting Professor Birch from that wild Poochyena, and thinking back on it, wasn't much of a challenge.

The town was scarcely filled with people taking walks and kids playing outside. May hadn't given herself time to explore the town in her two previous brief visits, so she really wasn't sure where anything is. The town was small enough to navigate, but she still let Brendan lead her to their destination.

The closer they got to the Pokémon Center, the more nervous May felt. She was about to challenge someone as an actual trainer for the first time. If that wasn't enough, Brendan was going to be judging her every move in this battle to see how much she really knew.

"Are you sure I should be trying to battle so soon? I haven't gotten much experience with Flare yet," asked May

Brendan stopped walking and looked down at her, raising an eyebrow.

"I thought you said you knew how to battle? Or am I hearing that you're too scared to try?" Brendan said back to May, with a teasing tone.

"I'm not scared," she scoffed, "Let's just go. I can do."

Brendan gave her a smirk before continuing to lead the way to the Pokémon Center.

Oldale's Pokémon center was relatively small. Few trainers filled the lobby; most of them were probably locals. There was a single nurse working the reception center, who immediately greeted Brendan and May as they walked through the doors.

"Hello!" the nurse called out cheerfully and directed her attention to Brendan, "Are you out working for your dad again Brendan?"

"Not this time, Nurse Joy. I'm actually helping out a friend with her own journey," he explained and motioned to May, "This is May."

Nurse Joy smiled warmly at May and she reciprocated the action.

"It's nice to meet you, May. Any friend of Brendan is a friend of mine. He comes here quite often to rest his Pokémon and any Pokémon he catches for his dad," the nurse chirped

"It's nice to meet you too, Nurse Joy," said May before Brendan spoke up again.

"Would you happen to know if there are any trainers May could challenge right now?" he asked and looked around at the present trainers in the lobby.

"Oh, May, that's wonderful! There are usually kids out back that are ready for a battle. I would try checking there," Nurse Joy suggested.

Brendan and May both thanked her and began to make their way to the back entrance to look for prospective challengers.

The outside of the Pokémon center was slightly more crowded than inside. Trainers ranging from children to teenagers wandered about, some with their Pokémon out. May looked up at Brendan, who seemed to be scanning the crowd to choose someone.

"Most of these trainers are going to have local Pokémon, like Poochyena, Wurmple, and Zigzagzoon. You should no problem defeating any one of those Pokémon with your Torchic," he explained.

"And which one of these trainers do you suggest I battle?" asked May while examining the trainers surrounding them.

"Well, like I said, you could take on any of-"a voice coming from behind the two interrupted Brendan

"What do we have here? Two newbies?"

"Newbie?" Brendan scoffed as he and May turned around to face a boy around their same age.

Brendan was incredibly offended, to say the least.

"Excuse me, who do you think you are? We weren't talking to you," May snapped, placing her hands on her hips.

"The name's Tyler," he said as he walked closer to them, "And might I add, you're pretty cute.

He shot May an insincere smile, causing her to falter a bit from her previous strong stance. Brendan could only roll his eyes at the guy.

"Like she said, we weren't talking to you so get out of here," Brendan sneered.

"What are you? Her boyfriend?" he laughed, "and besides, who's going to make me leave?"

May could feel her cheeks start to burn up from that comment. Did they really look like a couple? Brendan only looked a bit taken aback, but held his composure. A small crowd had formed around the three by this time. May saw Brendan reach for one of his poke balls and immediately placed herself in front of him to make him stop. As much as she would love to see one of Brendan's Pokémon scare Tyler to death, she knew deep down it wasn't the best idea. Besides, this was the perfect opportunity for May to challenge someone. She was filled to the brim with determination to defeat this jerk in front of her.

"I will. I challenge you to a Pokémon battle," she said confidently, much to the surprise of everyone around her.

"You want to battle me? I'll have you know I'm one of the best trainers in the area. Since you're not from around here, I'll give you a moment to reconsider," he said cockily.

"I don't care if you think you're the best in the area because I'm still going to beat you," she hissed back, ready to release Flare.

"Alright, but you don't know what you're in for, girl."

May saw Brendan move to the side to get out of the way, and the crowd surrounding them took a couple steps back.

"This is your first battle, so really think about your moves. Don't let your emotions get in the way and don't get distracted. Good luck," Brendan said to May.

She nodded and turned back to face her opponent. This was her first battle and she wasn't planning on losing.

* * *

Well, that was chapter 3! Again, I'm so sorry for taking so long to update. I'm now on summer vacation so I'm going to have quite a bit of free time now. I promise I won't let this much time pass for another update again. As always, thank you for reading!


End file.
